Co-founder of TU/e startup Lightyear, Lex Hoefsloot (27), has won the ‘VPRO Toekomst Bouwdepot’ prize. He received 10.000 euro prize money for his ‘inventive solutions for the mobility sector’ in TV show ‘De Toekomstbouwers’.

Lightyear originated from Solar Team Eindhoven which participates in the World Solar Challenge in Australia with a family solar car. Lex Hoefsloot managed the team from 2012 till 2014. With Lightyear he’s building a solar car, Lightyear One, which will enter the market in 2020.

The Lightyear One’s optimized aerodynamics and light weight greatly improve its range. Depending on the battery configuration the car will have a range of at least 400 km. The car cannot only be charged by electricity but also by solar power. This unique quality allows it to drive for months without charging. The car also brings a solution for the shortage in charging points in a growing market of electric vehicles. Hoefsloot: ‘The largest charging point is above us in the sky’.

In the TV-show ‘De Toekomstbouwers’ Wilfried de Jong interviewed 8 promising young designers during the Dutch Design Week, who shape the world of tomorrow.